Chương 50: Arrival of the Bard & His Two Companions

A satyr named Pan arrived, dressed in a surprisingly civilized blue tunic with two goat-like yookai women in tow. The two were a picture of artful immodesty, their revealing black kimono decorated with gold peonies, their hair done up in an impossibly elaborate style. Pan gestured grandly at the ships, his voice booming in broken Japanese.

"Look! Awesome ships! Big! Fly!"

"They are magnificent, Lord Pan!" one of the women said in awe.

"To think such large vessels could fly in the sky…"

"It's like we can see the machine's heart!" the other giggled, pointing at an exposed engine.

"Ain't that right?" Pan pretended to understand.

"Our ship..." His voice trailed off as he noticed the somber gathering at the resting area. His bravado vanished.

"Wait a minute," he said, bowing to the women. He ran over, his hooves clacking on the concrete.

"Hey, what's going on?""'Sup, Pan," Galan smiled.

"Who are your girlfriends?"

"Nevermind that. Why are they crying, Gal?"

"Oh, I told them Theara died." Pan's face fell.

"Ah... you serious?" He fidgeted with his hair.

"I even wrote her all those poems for her recovery."

"Yeah, well... that's just how mortals are," Galan sighed.

"You could sell the performance rights to some local bards' guild if you want. I'm sure they'll even sing them to you on the spot as a bonus," he jested, though no humor came from his chuckles.

"It's not the same, Gal..." Galan's focus shifted to the guests.

"Look, your girlfriends are concerned about you."

"Can you take this seriously?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"I... I don't know..." Gotta cheer him up somehow, Galan thought before thinking of a solution.

"How about we give them a tour of the Deliverer?"

"What? Are you se—" Pan exhaled.

"Right… you're still the same Galenaios that I know." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Galan stood, carefully holding Filippo.

"Alright, I've had enough crying. Now I want to see how you guys are treating our little baby."

"I'm coming too," Meredith said, hopping down. Galan nodded.

"Aletheia, Lisandra, can you two check the engine?"

"Of course." The centaurs headed for the back of the ship.

"Are you leaving already?" Filippo asked, his eyes sad.

"I'll be staying in Japan for a long time. Don't worry." Filippo wiped his tears.

"Okay. It's wonderful to see you again, Teacher." He flew off to work.

"Pheidon, can you steer?" Galan asked.

"For you, Captain?" Pheidon stood.

"I'll circle the world." He walked away as he spoke.

"I'll let you know when the start-up sequence is done."

"Got it." Galan marched forward, hands behind his head.

"Come on, let's bring your girlfriends along," he addressed Pan.

"Fine," Pan sighed.

"Guess I'll grieve on the way." They strode toward the two goat women, who were whispering behind their decorated fans in Japanese.

"Do you see that man ahead of them?" one asked.

"Yeah," the other replied.

"Doesn't seem like much, but he acts like a proper leader."

"How about we change the deal? I'll let you pick the clients first for a week if I can have him."

"What? No! I refuse!"

"Ladies," Galan called, cutting them off.

"There's no need to butt horns for my attention. How about the three of us share some time together tomorrow night?" Smack. Meredith's hand slapped the back of his bare knee with a sound like cracking stone. Galan turned and saw her seething.

"Alright, Meredith," he said calmly, then turned back to the women.

"My apologies. You two will have to share my bard here instead of me." He clapped a hand on Pan's shoulder.

"But rest assured. For tonight, he'll soothe your heart with his poems, please your ears with his songs, and satisfy your desires with his flute of flesh and muscles. But before that, we'll take you on a tour across Tsushima on my grand ship." The two women glanced at each other, then bowed.

"We accept your terms, Leader."

"What did you tell them?" Pan whispered in Greek.

"I just convinced them to let you... entertain... both of them later." Pan's sorrow evaporated. Replaced by a huge grin on his face.

"Oh, nice! Thanks, Gal!"

"Least I could do after being distant for a while." Galan shrugged.

"Just don't ask for my help with child support."

"Alright!" Pan roared in Japanese.

"Let's go to the Deliverer!" Idiot, one woman thought as she giggled. Maybe he won't be as boring as I thought, the other mused.

"But before we go," Galan said, snapping his fingers. He linked their minds to his omniscience.

"Now we can understand each other," said Pan in fluent Japanese. The two women gasped.

"You can speak Japanese now, Dear Pan?"

"Oh, how I wish that were true," Pan said dramatically.

"Alas, this is a power we merely borrow from my great leader." He struck a pose.

"But until it ends! We shall savor the night... and have this be the best tour of your life!" Galan and the two yookai clapped, him being the loudest among them.

"Great performance, Pan. No wonder you charmed these two fine ladies," he praised.

"Well, let's go." He and Meredith walked ahead as Pan stayed behind for a while longer.

"May I escort the two of you?" Pan asked the women, offering his hands. They giggled and accepted, following closely behind Galan, the bard already telling an embellished tale of the ship's origin. Meredith shook her head with a long-suffering sigh, while Galan just enjoyed the show.